Bristol has boldly and publicly acknowledged in ads for the Candie's Foundation that abstinence is the only surefire way of preventing pregnancy. And for this, she has been accused of being a hypocrite. But to those critics I say this: Which is a more courageous course for a young single mother: to sit down and shut up and avoid the critics, or to speak out in a painfully honest way about how tough single parenting is? I'm biased, of course, but given the choice of role models between Bristol and Murphy Brown, I choose Bristol.

What does this bold activism look like? Well, most recently it took the form of a PSA with . . . The Situation of Jersey Shore fame. B-Palin and The Sitch talk Magnum condoms and how they both totally respect abstinence. Check it out above.

If Bristol is a teen mom who promotes abstinence, what direction will 16-year-old Willow take after her recent homophobic Facebook rant? Can we expect her to be a pro-gay-marriage advocate soon?

Oh please. It's one thing to have a career. It's another thing to travel the country non-stop. Women with careers generally go home to their kids every night. That's not what Sarah Palin everynight. The fact that she has a child with down's syndrome and even brings him on stage isn't very good for him. It's pretty disgusting to use him as a prop. And if my kid got knocked up as a teenager while my other daughter called kids f***ts I would just be GLEAMING with pride.

"As for the Palins...the actions of her daughter's speak volumes about her as a parent. It's not unexpected considering that she tours the country ALL the time. I wonder who's taking care of her child with down syndrome when she's fundraising at Tea Parties."
Yes, how dare this woman have a career? She should be at home with her kids. Never mind the fact that her husband is. And while we're at it, how dare Sarah Palin be proud of her daughter in spite of the fact that she's made some mistakes. *rolls eyes*

"As for the Palins...the actions of her daughter's speak volumes about her as a parent. It's not unexpected considering that she tours the country ALL the time. I wonder who's taking care of her child with down syndrome when she's fundraising at Tea Parties."Yes, how dare this woman have a career? She should be at home with her kids. Never mind the fact that her husband is. And while we're at it, how dare Sarah Palin be proud of her daughter in spite of the fact that she's made some mistakes. *rolls eyes*

Annie is totally right. In fact as long as there are occasional male figures in a child's life (say an uncle or a family friend) children are completely fine (I'm a psych major and this is something in particular I've studied). Murphy Brown was a great character because unlike so many women on television before her she was a completely independent woman in all aspects. She didn't depend on anyone but herself and liked it that way. She's an amazing role model.As for the Palins...the actions of her daughter's speak volumes about her as a parent. It's not unexpected considering that she tours the country ALL the time. I wonder who's taking care of her child with down syndrome when she's fundraising at Tea Parties. She's a phony and I feel like the more people talk about her the more power we give her. It's like a little kid throwing a tantrum to get attention. If we ignored her maybe she'd shut her gob for good.

Annie is totally right. In fact as long as there are occasional male figures in a child's life (say an uncle or a family friend) children are completely fine (I'm a psych major and this is something in particular I've studied). Murphy Brown was a great character because unlike so many women on television before her she was a completely independent woman in all aspects. She didn't depend on anyone but herself and liked it that way. She's an amazing role model.
As for the Palins...the actions of her daughter's speak volumes about her as a parent. It's not unexpected considering that she tours the country ALL the time. I wonder who's taking care of her child with down syndrome when she's fundraising at Tea Parties. She's a phony and I feel like the more people talk about her the more power we give her. It's like a little kid throwing a tantrum to get attention. If we ignored her maybe she'd shut her gob for good.

Anon: I don't think there's a problem with single, financially stable, loving women raising children on their own. Sure, it's ideal for children to grow up in a loving, two-parent home. But that isn't always an option, and not all two-parent households are happy, nurturing ones. I still contend that Murphy Brown wasn't a bad role model at all.

But there IS a problem with that, Annie. Studies show that any child is at less of an advantage without both a loving mother AND father in the home. So it really doesn't matter if the mother is 45 or Bristol's age--neither is ideal.

Sarah Palin conveniently leaves out the fact that most teenage moms don't have the lucrative opportunities that Bristol does. And Murphy Brown, if she were real, would be a 40-something, financially secure, educated, and employed woman who can welcome a planned child into the world. I don't see the problem with that.

I think Sarah Palin is a bold role model for those with brain damage. Because after all, when you're quasi-lobotomized, what's a more courageous course? Sit down, shut up and avoid the critics? Or speak out in a painfully (for us) honest way to demonstrate how brain damaged you really are?I'm biased of course, but between Sarah Palin and Dan Quayle, I'm picking Sarah. You go girl. America, nay, the WORLD, needs you in that Oval Office.

I think Sarah Palin is a bold role model for those with brain damage. Because after all, when you're quasi-lobotomized, what's a more courageous course? Sit down, shut up and avoid the critics? Or speak out in a painfully (for us) honest way to demonstrate how brain damaged you really are?
I'm biased of course, but between Sarah Palin and Dan Quayle, I'm picking Sarah. You go girl. America, nay, the WORLD, needs you in that Oval Office.